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Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Just shoot me now


I once read a tidbit about President Obama, back when he was the Senator from Illinois, recounted by a page. The Senator was in a long, dry, boring committee session, and the page sat behind, equally as bored. The Senator wrote a note, folded it and passed it to the page, who unfolded it eagerly. Perhaps some information to find to add to the proceedings. A file to go for. Something. The paper read, “Just shoot me now.”

This morning my troublesome trustee loomed small in my doorway, to tell me again of her dissatisfaction. This rant began, “I’m tired of your snotty attitude toward me,” and thirteen years of perceived sins were fired at close range, few for the first time. There is no response to this, of course. I looked her steadily in the eye, and closed the door when she left.

Just shoot me now.

I’m in for three more years, two months and twenty eight days. Unless she decides not to run for another term in November. In that case, I’m still in for three more years, two months and twenty eight days, but without being lashed to the mast and verbally lacerated to the bone for several months of the year.

The really good news: we’re over winter’s hump, on the downhill slide to the end of March. I looked up the forecast and it’s beautiful:

Last Winters Snowfall
32.8
Biggest Winter Snowfall Ever!
117.9″ (2003-04)
Normal Snowfall
68.2″
This Winter (2016-2017)
75.2″ (+7.0″)
TEMPS THIS WINTER
OVERALL NEAR NORMAL
DECEMBER COLDER
JANUARY NORMAL
FEBRUARY NORMAL
MARCH WARMER
Moving on into spring, it will be warm, and sunshinny bright, then six or nine months light and bright. The  trustee’s dissatisfaction with the world will again be halved, and I will be down to two years and six months. And if she doesn’t run again? I won’t push my luck that far. My observation of the cycle of her personality is certainly not scientific. But thirteen years of it have taught me to keep my head below the bow from Christmas until April Fool’s Day.





35 comments:

  1. Here's hoping there are no more tirades in the near future!

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  2. If he could get it autographed that note would be worth a buck or two.

    I'd love to offer advise, but I got nothing. Some people do not realize how lucky they are...you will be appreciated down the line, but for now...

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    1. As long as I do my job to the satisfaction of the Auditor of State, nothing else matters. I do have 13 blemish free years under my belt. But, it's just so wearing...

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    2. PS--I believe the young man became an adviser in first administration.

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  3. You make me chuckle. You just looked her in the eye, let her rant, then closed the door when she left, Good for you. No point in expending energy to counteract her attack.. She would not have heard you anyway. I hope the days you are counting don't go too badly for you. You have earned your spot.

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  4. Pity you missed December to lash her to a mast somewhere out in the boonies...

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  5. I do hate the politics of work. I'm currently in a dispute with a neighboring department whose leader says they will no longer help us when we need it. They often need it more from us so I'm waiting for the back-pedal. I don't really like the attitude though.

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  6. I'd read somewhere that one of the reasons Obama ran fro President was that he was bored in the Senate. Should have at least mentally shot her or shut the door in her face. You'd ever seen the bit on The Big Bang Theory where one of the character's Mother has been insulted by another ones Mother and gets into an argument with her. She then says that as a good Christian she should apologize, but then as a good Texan she should shoot her, I agree.

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  7. Give her a big bottle of vitamin D and a season's pass to the nearest tanning salon. -Jenn

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  8. Lordy! I feel badly (but not badly enough, I guess) for those who are so un-self-aware that they cannot figure out why they're feeling what they feel, and fire off at the wrong cause. Nothing will get better for her until she figures that out. I'm hoping spring comes quickly!

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  9. I'm guilty of nothing she's accused me of. If I shut the door in her face, instead of her back, I'd have an actual bit of rude behavior to my name. Although I once told her I didn't give a flying rat's backside.

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  10. One of the many reasons why I am happy I have retired. Even if it means living on much less money! Can't put up with those kinds of people anymore. Good luck to you for the next two years!

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  11. You are too wise. It isn't easy to let someone rant until they wear out without responding and renewing their energy. Way to go. Now you are entitled to a big sigh.

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    1. It's second nature after all these years. Once, in a meeting, I put my hand in my chin and smiled at her through the entire rant. "And why are you always laughing at me?" she yelled.

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  12. There's always one sour apple in the barrel.

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  13. I like your attitude that you looked her straight in the eyes and then closed the door. Kudos for you for not "rising to the occasion" and getting in a few cheap shots that would mean nothing to her but cause you more grief down the road. I didn't realize you guys had gotten all that snow this year!

    betty

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  14. Guess what last winter we had no snowfall.
    Merle..........

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  15. Sigh.
    Consider me hissing and spitting on your behalf.

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  16. It's a bummer to work with hostile people who create a hostile environment. I'm sorry you have to deal with it. Good for you that your cold weather is done. We are expecting our 6th snow storm in as many weeks and the City hasn't been coping well. Many of our roads and parking lots are literally like ice rinks. I've never seen it like this before. So many falls and injuries and accidents. People are fed up. Finally the city has dispatched ALL workers to help clean up the mess.

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  17. I've sat in a difficult board meeting before. I was an employee presenting policy and was shouted at. Staff wouldn't get away with behaviour like that so governance members shouldn't either. So say I. I did like you. Kept my cool. The better person is the cool one.

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  18. My troublesome 'manager' stormed off of his own accord before Christmas. Things are looking alot sunnier now. His successor discovered that he had done hardly anything in the two years he complained of being overworked...

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  19. Aaack, the woman is clearly a jerk. Sorry you have to interact with her.

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  20. You have the patience of Job. You handled it right by not answering her and giving her the ammunition to continue. I am sure your stare unhinged her more. I doubt if I could have handled it that well.

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  21. not much you can do about a person like that except let them run out of steam. though next time you might make a big show of putting in some earplugs while she rants.

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  22. I like that tidbit about Obama. Thanks for sharing. I sure am going to miss him.

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  23. Ugh. Yes, probably just best to keep your head down and keep doing your job the best you can. This type of behavior of hers, though, sure makes the work-world miserable.

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  24. I think it angers an infuriated person most to look at her, smiling mildly, without saying anything. Or as my admired Joanna Lumley titled her memoirs: "Stare Back and Smile".

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  25. Maybe she suffers from SAD. Try suggesting that she buys a special daylight lamp. That might cheer her up. Another three years of that sounds like torture.

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  26. Is she menopausal? Or SAD? Or just plain mean? Three years. You can do three years+.

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  27. Oh Joanne - your optimism about Spring being on its way cheered me up no end.

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